Who is Sakumo Hatake? White Fang of the Leaf! Kakashi’s Father!
Kakashi’s father Sakumo Hatake, also known as “White Fang of the Leaf,” was a mystery ever since he was introduced in Naruto. There were always questions about Hatake and his powers and strength. Some of the episodes of Naruto did cover Sakumo’s story and revealed a bit about him. The story of White Fang of the Leaf is one of the most important elements of Kakashi Hatake’s character development.
In this article, we will cover some interesting facts about Sakumo Hatake. What he was called White Fang of the Leaf? Why was Sakumo Hatake admired so much? How strong was he? How did he die? Keep reading to get all the answers.
Who was White Fang of the Leaf?
White Fang of the Leaf was the nickname of Sakumo Hatake, the father of the copy ninja Kakashi Hatake. He was given this title by the people of other nations due to his abilities. His arsenal must be quite wide but his most powerful Jutsu was “Tanto”, aka White Light Chakra Saber. This Jutsu caused the chakra to emit white fang-like projections out of his weapons which were more than enough to defeat his enemies. This move of Sakumo earned him the title of White Fang of the Leaf.
Sakumo was a kind and soft person who loved his son a lot. Kakashi’s mother died when he was very young and hence Sakumo raised him alone. He was quite a fearsome ninja but at the same time, he was quite humble as well. It was the very reason Kakashi looked up to him and idolized him. Sakumo loved his village very much and was ready to do anything for its sake.
Sakumo Hatake was one of the people who believed in Might Guy from the very beginning. He even told Kakashi that one-day Might Guy will grow immensely strong with the help of his training and dedication. Hatake’s beliefs in Might Guy turned true later in the future and even a person like Madara Uchiha acknowledged Might Guy and declared him the strongest. All these incidents clarified that Sakumo was loving, caring, soft, and quite intelligent.
How Strong was Sakumo Hatake?
Before knowing how strong Sakumo was, let’s talk about the Legendary Sannins. Almost all the Naruto fans must be familiar with the term “Legendary Sannins.” This term was used to describe the trio of Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade. All three of them are extremely powerful ninjas and collectively they are renowned as the Legendary Sannins.
White Fang of the Leaf was said to be stronger than all the three Sannins together. There are very few people in Naruto who can match the individual power level of the Sannins, and then there was Sakumo Hatake who surpassed their collective power level. The above statement is more than enough to describe how strong and powerful Sakumo Hatake was. It is one of the very reasons why the fans admire him so much and are desperate to see more of them.
Why does Chiyo Hate Sakumo?
Chiyo was introduced in the very first arc of Naruto Shippuden. She was Sasori’s grandmother who was a member of the Akatsuki. She was the very person who sacrificed her life to provide another life to Gaara. Chiyo mistook Kakashi for White Fang of the Leaf and attacked him without wasting any moment.
Later, it was revealed that Sakumo Hatake killed Sasori’s parents when they went to Konoha for a mission. Sakumo confessed the same and this naturally turned Chiyo into hating her son’s killer. There wasn’t any particular reason for Sakumo to kill Sasori’s parents as this incident took place during the time of the second shinobi war.
How Did White Fang of the Leaf Die?
Sakumo Hatake, who was one of the strongest ninjas of Konoha, died by committing suicide. Sakumo was sent to the mission which was of utmost importance to the Land of Fire. However, during the mission, some incidents took place which endangered the life of his comrades. Sakumo was a very kind person from the beginning and hence he decided to save the life of his comrades and sacrificed the mission. However, the Land of Fire did not appreciate this and he was discredited. Everyone in the village looked down on him and even the people he saved during that mission started speaking against him. As a result, Sakumo fell into depression and eventually committed suicide.
It was an unbearable sight for Kakashi and he hated his father for leaving him alone. It made Kakashi an arrogant boy who always prioritized his mission. However, one fine day, he was changed when Obito decided to save Rin before completing the mission. He stated, “Those who abandoned the mission are scums, but those who abandoned his friends are worse than scums.” These lines changed Kakashi, and he finally understood why his father did what he did.
Kakashi even met his father who was waiting for him on the other side of the world when he was killed by Pain. Kakashi’s father apologized to him and stated that he could not join Kakashi’s mother because he deeply regretted leaving Kakashi alone. Then, he told Kakashi that it is not time for him to come here yet. After this, the copy ninja was resurrected by Nagato and his father joined his mother in heaven.
Will Fans Ever See More of Sakumo Hatake?
Every single Naruto fan wants to see the White Fang of the Leaf in action especially after knowing how strong he was. Some fans are quite shocked and disappointed with the fact that there are almost 400 filler episodes in Naruto and none of them is about the story of Sakumo Hatake. The fans even demanded a spin-off series or a movie on the life of White Fang of the Leaf. However, it never became the reality, but some fans are still hopeful that they might see Sakumo Hatake again in some capacity in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
